


Dragged Along

by AcidicPrince



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Cop!Rhodey, Criminal Avengers, Criminal Tony Stark, F/M, Fluff, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 12:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11555538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcidicPrince/pseuds/AcidicPrince
Summary: Anthony Stark, one of the most wanted fugitives in the United States, has resurfaced after a handful of quiet years. He's testng his luck by bouncing from one big city to the next but at some point he stumbles across the Avengers, an elite crime group who are willing to take him in.Or Tony is a criminal who gets wrapped up into bad things with a bad group, and Rhodey is a Cop trying to keep his friend from getting arrested.





	Dragged Along

Based off [this](http://barthosprompts.tumblr.com/post/163180989120/character-idea) tumbr prompt

 

He stood steady against the pull of the wind and the blasting of the heavy rain. He had been waiting until just the right moment to leap forward, one foot up onto the platform, one hand gripping the railing, and hoisting himself into the train car. He almost lost his balance but he was able to plant his feet firmly on the floor, turning so that his back was to the wall. He leaned heavily against it to regain his balance and composure before letting his legs give out from under him so he could slide to the ground and bury his face in his hands.

Angrily, he banged the back of his head against the wall behind him and let out a frustrated groan.

He was on the run, again. And if you followed the patterns in his life he would most likely never be able to catch a break.

He sat in anxious silence, quietly working out probabilities and factors that could contribute to him being caught for the fourth time this week. Well, he hadn't been _caught_ each time, but being spotted wasn't nearly as easy to brush off as it may seem. He'd needed to get out of that damn city. _Damn Queens!_ He should've known not to go anywhere near another big city, what with the amount of security cameras and electronic billboards that were constantly lit up with fugitives faces on Wanted catalogues.

He had been so careful, and yet by his third night of staying in a seemingly well concealed alley way some kid in a bright, cartoonish costume had swung by and stopped abruptly, staring directly at him. Then, he pointedly called out for the police and stuck him to a wall with something indistinguishable in the dark. Just as a siren's wail and the flashing of blue and red lights flooded the alley the material weakened enough for him to slip away. Not exactly slip away, he does remember the marathon of a lifetime that he ran to get away from the cops but he'd refer to it as slipping away into the shadows since that sounds much cooler than gagging on sweat and choking in air as he ran for his life.

Tony Stark has had a rough time. 

Suddenly the calming rush of the rain and occasional thunder was broken by the loud, obnoxious trill of the burner phone stuffed into the inside pocket of Tony's bomber jacket. He scrambled to get it out and check the caller ID, reading it with a not-so-surprised grunt and dropping back against the wall to comfortably stretch out his legs.

"Yes, dear?" He asked after hitting the answer button.

There was a huff on the other end before, "Don't call me that, you ass." A pause, than a sigh. "Tony. You know what I'm about to ask, right?" Said man gave no response but a hum. "You're really gonna make me- okay whatever- why the hell have I got _three_ new reports on my desk? All of which stating that Anthony Edward Stark has been spotted and very nearly caught, several times might I add, in Queens."

"I've got no idea, Captain Rhodes, why don't you tell me, hm?" Tony replied nonchalantly.

"Don't- Don't fuckin' act like this doesn't mean anything! I told you no big ass cities. I told you keep the spottings down for at least another week. I- Tony, I've been covering for your stupid ass for so long! I just- They..." The police officer took a moment to calm himself down before continuing. "They want me to send out a team. Specialized, maybe under cover, definitely armed. They know we used to be roommates in MIT and I can just tell that they're getting suspicious over me holding back on you. I don't- Tony, I don't know how long this can keep going." Rhodey finished with a sigh.

The fugitive mulled over what his best friend had just told him. "A team?"

"Mm hm."

Tony almost felt sick to his stomach. Not really about the specialized team that will be coming to hunt him down, more so about the fact that Rhodey's superiors were apparently getting suspicious, which could cost him his job. However, he didn't feel like approaching the subject of his friend's most likely inevitable unemployment at the moment so he held his worry and his tongue and bit out a simple, "Great, the more the merrier."

Rhodey gave a long, exasperated sigh. "Tones, I know you're scared. I know you've been running longer than I've been a cop. I know you've lost a lot and you've done a lot, good and bad. And I know you're a good person. And I'm going to be sticking with that particular opinion until you prove me wrong. So, I'll keep this whole charade running as long as you put a little effort into it, okay?" It hurt Tony, to hear someone so purely _good_ would be willing to risk it all for someone like him. It just made him realize how much he truly, deeply appreciated the existence of James Rhodes.

"I love you, Rhodey." He murmured, quiet and almost sullenly, like he was sorry. "I- yeah. Yeah, I'll try my best. I just- sometimes I get selfish and I forget that it's not just my life on the line, but yours too."

Sometimes he wished he had never met Rhodey, just so that the man would've been able to live without the stress of a _criminal_ of all people relying on him constantly.

"I have never, ever, seen you act like a selfish person once in my life, Anthony. I know that whenever you do something you think of how it would effect me, and I'm grateful for that, but you gotta stop trying to push the limit for a while." He paused, "For me."And Tony could hear the fondness in his voice when he said, "And I love you too, Tones."

There was a second where they both just sat in comfortable silence, basking in it since they'd both been stressed to the absolute maximum for the past week. "Okay, well, Tony I have to go in minute, lunch's almost over, but I'll have that team out in Queens in four days, top. I want you out of that goddamn city by then, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Cap'n." He responded, his usual cheekiness seeping back in.

"Don't steal a car, or a plane again. Maybe just steer clear of grand theft auto this time, yeah? Hop a train or something."

Tony chuckled quietly, letting his free hand splay across the floor of the empty car. "On one right now, honey bear."

Rhodey laughed heartily, the serious atmosphere having lifted. "Don't fall off, I'll update you later. Bye Tony."

"Bye Rhodey." He said quietly, hanging up and watching the little ID blink across the screen for a moment before clicking the phone back off and slipping it into his pocket.

Tony let out a long breath, one that he had felt like he'd been holding since the call started. He always had a burning anxiety whenever Rhodes called. He was worried that somehow something that he'd done would be traced back to the officer and that he'd be blamed for it. It was a cycle but Tony could live with it for now.

As long as his friend was safe.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter's a bit short, they'll get longer I promise. I'll also try to explain why Tony's a fugitive as soon as possible and how he got into this situation in the first place.


End file.
